For years, scientists all over the world have presented various approaches to heat engines where natural mechanical transformation caused by certain material's thermal shape memory effect does work. The constructions and principles are much the same, i.e. put a "U" shaped Ni-Ti alloy wire into cold water and then into hot water periodically, and convert the reciprocation due to the shrinkage and expansion of the alloy wire into rotation. The common features are to output the mechanical power of the transformation of the SMA directly. Because of its low cycle speed, high friction loss, low efficiency, complicated structure, and poor reliability, the spread and further development of such prior art devices has been restrained.
The present invention teaches an approach which converts the transformation on the material's thermal shape memory effect to fluid kinetic energy and/or pressure energy to drive a hydraulic turbine or cut materials, or the like. The purpose of the invention is to convert low level energy such as sunlight, the heat in waste water or vapor from power stations, and the like, to high level energy that can be used directly (e.g., high pressure and high speed fluid having the ability to drive a hydraulic turbine and the like).